Weekly News For
Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church
May 17, 2020


Please note: The Sunday Worship Invitation email is sent out separately on Saturday mornings. Feel free to forward the invitation along to family and friends.

Call the office if you have any questions
or need help joining.

Prayer Concerns This Week
 
"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, 
and thanksgiving be made for everyone, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity."  1 Timothy 2:1-2


The Prayer Person for the week is W.N. Smith family. Let us be prayerfully aware of Neil as well as all our members and friends.

Prayer Concerns : The family of Diantha Brown Matthews; Katie Hoffmaster Barberi.

Long term concerns : Stephen Bardsley; Jacob Basilotto; Ed Jung; Despina Koch; Gwen McFaddan; Jacob Mendelsohn; Leigh Millar; Melissa Millar; Dale Norby; Marilyn Powell; Tom Ploskonka; Owen Provencer, Geoff Reilly; Susan Robbins, Bill Shoppell; Linda Lee Smith; Millage Youenger; Lorraine Williams; Ginny Zimmerman; those struggling with addictions and mental illness.

Military: Sarah Davis Brown; Morgan Daniels Colberg; Michael Fahey III; Robin Fiorentino; all those in our nation's service.

From Our Interim Pastor
fly_to_heaven.jpg
I opened the back door to take Vixen out for her last walk of the day when the bird flew right into the house. The walk took precedence so I figured I’d deal with the bird later. When we came back, I tried to corner our unwelcome guest to throw a towel or something on it so I could pick it up and take it outside – a method that has worked in the past. But this little bird was too fast soaring from one end of the house to the other. So, after 20 minutes we called for a truce. I left it in a closed room and we went to sleep. In the morning, I opened the front door, walked into the room where we had last seen each other, and it flew straight out into the morning sunshine. Like some of your entrepreneurial mother birds around your houses, ours has built a nest in the wreath that decorated the back entrance and now that we discovered 4 little eggs in it we are trying not to use that door very much.

Seeing and hearing the birds all around us reminded me of Maya Angelou’s famous poem “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”:
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

After 9 weeks of lockdown, sheltering in place, and disruptions at many levels, some people are beginning to describe their experience as being caged and cries for freedom are ringing across the country. The growing desire is to return to the life that was known. But we know that we will have to get used to a “new normal.” Fortunately, we have the freedom to do the right thing.

The apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17). Following the guidelines that ensure life for many doesn’t have to limit other aspects of life that perhaps we haven’t explored or appreciated in the past. “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them” (2 Peter 2:19). We can feel imprisoned by grief over what has been lost or we can learn to value what endures after tragedy and pain have had their say.

Maya Angelou’s poetry drew from the language of faith and religion and her images of prison and freedom, memory and life, have great relevance today. I leave you with this verse from “Touched by an Angel”:

We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness 
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life. 

Peace ,
Pastor Osy

Contact-Less Clothing Drive on Saturday
clothing drive
The Presbyterian Women have received the go ahead from the borough of Point Pleasant Beach to have their Clothing Drive this Saturday. Put your clothes in your trunk and then simply pull up to Forman Avenue side entrance and pop your trunk.

Items will not be shredded and donations include wearable clothes, shoes, belt, handbags, briefcases, bedding, draperies, pillows, towels, stuffed animals and bicycles. Please place everything in a tied heavy duty bag. Shoes are to be bagged separately.

If you would like to help the PW with their drive on Saturday, please contact Diane Manzo at 732-581-1882
Contact-Less Food Drive on Sunday
Sunday starting at 12 noon PPPC church members will be picking up any food pantry donations members leave outside their home. We will be picking up any nonperishable items within a 10 mile radius of the church.

Please call Frank and Kerry Jones with your address before Sunday. Then place your items outside your door and we will make a contactless pickup between the hours of noon and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Please double check expiration dates. Expired products cannot be given out.

All items will be donated to St. Mary's By-The-Sea emergency food relief and Mary's Table.
Furniture Needed for IHN Family
furniture_modern_retail.jpg
We are happy to report that one of the IHN families will soon be transitioning out of the IHN program and into their new home.

The parents and their two young sons (ages 2 and 1) are in need of the items listed below.
Entertainment center/tv stand
Couch & loveseat
Lamps (light bulbs)
Trundle twin beds
2 Boys Twin Comforter & Sheet Sets
2 Pillows
Queen Size Comforter & Sheet Sets
2 Pillows
Towels/Washcloths
Shower Curtain & Liner

Please email IHN directly who is coordinating the collection. Their email is oceanihn@gmail.com:
Wedding Anniversaries 50 years or More
flowers_anniversary.jpg
Those with an anniversary 50 years or more should have received an email this week. If you did not receive the email and you are married 50 years or longer, please let us know. We are working on a special project for Anniversary Sunday next month. You do not have to had been married at PPPC for this project.
Calling Everyone Married At PPPC
wedding-rings-pillow.jpg
When we celebrate anniversary Sunday in June, we are looking to make a collage of everyone who has been married at Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church and is still worshipping with us.

Please send us a digital picture from your wedding day at the church. If scanning is not an option, you can take a picture of your original picture with your phone. Pictures can be emailed to mail@pointpresbyterian.org. Call the office if you would like help sending a picture.

Please include your names and date of wedding. Pictures can be from anytime throughout the years. We want to even include pictures from those who are now widowed but still were married here at the church.
We Recognize Our Sunday School Teachers
" Anyone who welcomes a little child like this one
in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:5 (NIRV)
Our all-volunteer Sunday School staff members (listed below) feel a special calling to use their talents to build the faith of the youngest within our congregation. They exit the worship service after the Time for Children to shepherd the children over to the Education Annex for instruction. We are grateful and acknowledge their dedication and sacrifice. Special thanks, also, to Barbara Reusch who left worship each week to unlock the doors of the Annex for parents/guardians at dismissal.
Preschool-K
Corey MacGregor
Karen McDermitt
Cathy Walker

Grades 1-3
Marian Blackford
Frank Perkowski (Coordinator)
Sue Perkowski

Grades 4-5
Joanne McGuire
Ryan Wittmann
A life skill learned in Sunday School - Nehemiah, cup-bearer for the king, found out that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down. With the king's permission, he returned to Jerusalem and, facing many difficulties, rebuilt the city. A lesson for us all...
Sunday School - See You Online!
In keeping with the times, our remaining Sunday School Sessions through May 17 will take place via Zoom before the regular church service begins. Families received their Zoom invitations this week via email and will receive the usual followup materials from "God Times" and "Parent Cue" that relate directly to the Sunday School experience. These thoughtful, easily applied activities and questions encourage faith discussions at opportune times during the week.
Our life skill for May is Determination - Deciding it's worth it to finish what you started. Drawing from New Testament accounts following the Resurrection of Jesus, we'll find out how God gives us what we need to keep going! In our Zoom sessions, we'll chat a bit about our theme, watch the Bible Story Videos, and experience some of the other media that the children normally encounter in the large group session of physical Sunday School. We're excited about this new opportunity to share God's Word in a different way.
Attention High School Seniors
Applications are now being accepted for the Griggs Scholarship. The applicant must be a member of Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church as well as a high school senior seeking further study. Please submit an electronic synopsis of your church, community and school activities. All applications are due Friday, May 22. Applications should be submitted to mail@pointpresbyterian.org with Griggs Scholarship in the subject matter.

Point Beach Prep Preschool
Point Beach Prep is registering for September. If you would like more information, please call 732-701-9900 or email pointbeachprep@hotmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Upcoming Virtual Meeting

Tuesday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m. - Session Meeting
Upcoming Birthdays This Month
birthday


May 17 Nancy Jalowski
May 18 Andrea Crate, Frank Jones, Naomi Lappke, Celishia Scarpone
May 19
May 20
May 21 Peggy Bierach, Lois Fischer Geene, Cynthia Lombardo
May 22 Gerard Jalowski, Daniel Scarpone Jr.
May 23 Catherine Walker
May 24 Hannah Davison
May 25 Deirdre D'Amore, Diane Legreide, Hannah Ploskonka
May 26 Jane Lambie
May 27
May 28 Diane Manzo
May 29 Karen Baron
May 30
Image of the Week
Duck Covid19
You have heard of a lucky duck but this week we spied a lonely duck in our lot.
During this time of quarantine please consider calling a friend who is all alone, simply to say hello.

 "True devotion, the kind that is pure and faultless before God the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their difficulties and to keep the world from contaminating us."
James 1:27 CEB
Contact Us

Pastoral Staff
The Rev. Mr. Osvaldo Nuesch, Interim Pastor - Email
The Rev. Dr. Eileen Lindner, Parish Associate - Email
 
Office Staff 
Kim Gaydos, Church Secretary -  Email
Donna Ferry, Financial Secretary - Email
 
Music Staff
Sara Hoey, Organist -  Email
Melanie Chambers, Chancel Choir Director -  Email
Morgan Sarbello, Choral Bell Director -  Email
William R. Shoppell, Jr., Music Director, Emeritus
 
Christian Education Staff
Devlin House, Point Beach Prep Preschool Director -  Email
Frank Perkowski, Sunday School Coordinator -  Email

701 Forman Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
(Corner of Bay and Forman Avenues) 
Church Office: 732-899-0587 Fax: 732-899-2946


Church Office:  mail@pointpresbyterian.org